The Spinner of Tales
by whirlyite
Summary: A vignette in remembrance of Richard Dawson for the role we will always treasure and remember fondly. Rest in peace sir. The boys engage in a bit of amateur psychoanalysis as they wait and worry.


"Holy Toledo! How about that whopper Peter told us before he left with the Colonel?" Kinch shook his head in amazement as he took a seat at the head of the common table. He and the other two members of the command crew found sleep elusive as they awaited their comrades' return from a night mission.

"Oui. It was a bit too much, even by Pierre's usual standards," chuckled LeBeau as he stood by the stove.

"Peter wouldn't lie to us...would he?" Carter plaintively asked.

Kinch glanced at LeBeau and then back at Carter, who sat patiently on his bunk awaiting an answer. The Frenchman shrugged his shoulders and stepped over to put a hand on Carter's shoulder.

"André, Pierre is what we called back home a - ah, no never mind that. He is, well, what you may call a bit of a rogue. He will say what he thinks he needs to only for the moment. He does not always think ahead, that one."

"You mean all those things aren't true? He wasn't a headliner at the Palladium? He doesn't have nine brothers and sisters? His girlfriend isn't a fan dancer? He doesn't have a sister in Stepney? He didn't date a Duchess crazy about diamonds? His mother wasn't a dancer? He didn't travel with the circus and room with the Amazing Bloomingtons? Rita isn't 36-24-36?"

LeBeau snorted in laughter at that last one. As he had told Newkirk at the time, even the Frenchman's own grandmother measured 36-24-36.

Kinch chuckled before he replied, "Andrew, that's not really for us to say. Who knows? Maybe some of it is true, maybe some of it is half-true, maybe some of it isn't true at all. Peter's the only one who knows for sure."

Carter frowned and looked down. "I can understand him lying to the Krauts but why to us?"

"It is not lying per se, André." LeBeau tried to find the right words. "Pierre is…he is…not always happy with who he is."

Carter was indignant. "Why not? He's a great guy! Why are you sayin' that Louis?"

"Because it is true mon ami. Pierre views himself much differently than we do." The Frenchman sat down beside Carter and struggled to explain. "He sometimes does not feel…worthy."

Carter exploded, "Well that's just the dumbest thing I've ever heard! Not worthy? I trust Peter with my life! Don't you?"

"Of course we do Andrew!" soothed Kinch. "We're not saying we don't trust Peter and we're not saying Peter doesn't trust us. We're saying Peter doesn't always trust himself."

That stopped Carter cold and he cocked his head in puzzlement as Kinch continued.

"Peter says a lot of these things to make himself feel better about who he is, understand?"

Carter shook his head, "Not really."

"He wants others to accept him, but not for who he thinks he is."

"Well for corn's sake, who does he think he is, Kinch?"

Kinch sat back, a bit nonplussed. He shot a look at LeBeau, who nodded.

"André, I do not know much about Pierre's life before we met him. I can only speculate on what I have learned by living and working with him for the past few years. I believe he had a very difficult life growing up and it has affected him greatly. He is not at ease with himself."

Kinch nodded as well, "I agree with you, Louis. It's almost like Peter feels he doesn't match up to everyone else, so he has to work harder and be larger than life, like he feels inferior or something." He snorted in frustration. "Oh hell, I don't know. That's just the feeling I get when he starts in on one of his fantastic yarns."

Carter shook his head. He was trying his level best to comprehend, but much of what Kinch and LeBeau were trying to communicate still eluded him. Even though he had his clumsy moments, he always felt comfortable with his own abilities and in the friendship he enjoyed with his barracks mates. He realized that Newkirk was obviously blessed with the 'gift of gab' but simply couldn't fathom that the cocksure, breezy confidence exuded by his British friend was a blind designed to mask an overwhelming sense of insecurity.

"So all those stories about women are lies too?"

Kinch sat back and crossed his arms, a smirk on his face. "Andrew, on that subject no one will ever know the truth!"

"Well, what can we do to make him feel better about himself?"

LeBeau shook his head vehemently. "Nothing! Nothing other than what we normally do. Continue to treat him like the loyal friend we know him to be. Continue to trust him as we do. He has begun to change thanks to Colonel Hogan, but Pierre must come to his own realization about his worth."

"Louie's right Andrew. You keep treating Peter like your best friend, even though he gives you a hard time about it. Deep down inside, he loves it. Trust me, okay?"

"Okay guys, I will. I just don't understand...," he was cut off by the noise of the bunk rising over the hidden barracks' tunnel entrance. A blue-clad figure quickly scrambled up and seated himself at the table.

"Oy mates! 'ave I got somethin' to tell you! When we were in town there was the most gorgeous bird who 'ad 'er eyes glued on me from the first moment we saw each other..."

The Colonel then climbed up the ladder from the tunnel, nodding as he walked by on his way to his quarters, a knowing smirk on his face.

Kinch rolled his eyes good-naturedly as LeBeau got up to pour a cup of coffee for his English friend. He set it on the table and then gently tapped Carter on the shoulder. "Come André, let us listen to Pierre's tale."

Carter grinned and moved from his bunk to sit at the table beside his best friend, Newkirk.


End file.
